Before I thank you can you explain my error. I always thought that you use it for something that started in the past and has continued up until now? Btw I am very bad German speaker, but it's true, present continuous does not exist in my language.

Present continuous is used for something which is taking place at the current time
Eg. He is playing tennis, they are swimming etc.

It can also be used for something which will happen in the near future

Eg. He is playing tennis at midday, they are going to Spain on Saturday. ( near future)

You are mixing it up with the present perfect (continuous) which is used for things that start in the past and continue into the present (amongst other things).

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Before I thank you can you explain my error. I always thought that you use it for something that started in the past and has continued up until now?

Nope. It's describing a current activity, or sometimes a specific near future event, so I'm seeing my physiotherapist this afternoon, but I have been seeing himfor the last two months, since I came out of hospital.

And I will beseeing him for some time , until my knee is fully recovered.

Part of my job entails proof-reading and polishing English technical and scientific documents written by non-native speakers. One of the common mistakes is the inappropriate use of "the". The thing is, I can't even tell people why they can use it in some instances, but not in others; it just looks "wrong".

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Part of my job entails proof-reading and polishing English technical and scientific documents written by non-native speakers. One of the common mistakes is the inappropriate use of "the". The thing is, I can't even tell people why they can use it in some instances, but not in others; it just looks "wrong".

Yup, I also have to correct Denglish in scientific papers. The Germans love their articles (as you know, everything has a der, die or das attached to it) and nouns in German are almost always accompanied by articles. Not so in English. Interestingly, though, I find myself inserting articles into pieces written by some other non-native-English-speakers, such as Finns and people from the Balkans.

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Then, of course, there's the inapproprate use of the present continuous in English -- which is odd, since it doesn't exist as a separate life form in German. Maybe in some way this is related to the use of "until"...

The present continuous can be tricky for non-native speakers, e.g. do you say: "My knee hurts" or "my knee is hurting"?

BTW In German there is a grammatical construction which indicates that an action is ongoing: am + inf.: Ich bin am Arbeiten, Ich bin die Schuhe am Putzen etc.

Haha, now I feel kind of stupid. I think I need to go back to school as it seems that I have an overwhelming mixture of ideas how to express continuous deeds.
With the/a(n)/die/der/das/ein(e) I am even worse, they don't exist in my language, so using them is never natural to me.

Hi nejc -- first up, I'd like to apologise for our language, much as I love it. It's relatively easy to learn but an absolute bugger to master.

in my opinion language (or use of it) shouldn't be over simplified. Expressing yours thoughts in exact or innovative way is beautiful and challenging. This is something I don't like with Schwyzerdütsch,, that they don't want to change it into a full language, with rules to break.

There's a few threads with common word use which would be considered grammatically incorrect in proper English (for almost all national versions of the language). I do find myself adopting them, when I'm the only native speaker in a group of 12 expats who all seem to use the mistake---I'm not going to be the grammar-nati.

Some examples:

We are going to make party!
Can I borrow you my pen?
I invite you all for a coffee! (*not an invitation but an offer to pay for all)
The party on Saturday was very funny! (*fun)

I'll add as I think of more.

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I'm guessing that, like so many Slovenians, you speak four or more languages fluently (Slovene, English, German, Serbo-Croatian and probably Italian... ?). Most of us here struggle with one. Don't feel too stupid.

I can of course only imagine what my German sentence construction sounds like to a native speaker... Or even a non native speaker.

For example: Never can remember the exact gender of a German table. Ours are all unisex, you see.

This was the advice I gave on this subject some time back, plus the reaction it got. (I won't mention the groan which I was given, which once again showed that not everyone on here has a Brit sense of humour).

Perhaps Longbyt is an elderly lady?
You have no idea to whom you are talking on the internet, young man.

'chen' and 'lein' added to a word do the trick in German but Swiss German is so much easier. Seems that 'li' added to pretty well anything with 's' as the article. 's Tischli, 's Büchli, 's Kaffeli, 's Computerli...

There's a few threads with common word use which would be considered grammatically incorrect in proper English (for almost all national versions of the language). I do find myself adopting them, when I'm the only native speaker in a group of 12 expats who all seem to use the mistake---I'm not going to be the grammar-nati.

Some examples:

We are going to make party!
Can I borrow you my pen?
I invite you all for a coffee! (*not an invitation but an offer to pay for all)
The party on Saturday was very funny! (*fun)

I'll add as I think of more.

PLEASE DON'T. It's bad enough trying to retain some remnants of my once good grammar. I seldom speak English with native English speakers and my language is steadily going downhill. (at an ever increasing speed!)

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Swiss German is so much easier. Seems that 'li' added to pretty well anything with 's' as the article. 's Tischli, 's Büchli, 's Kaffeli, 's Computerli...

It is sounds far more ridiculous to add -li everywhere than making grammar mistakes with grammatical gender. Keep your grammar mistakes and use the correct words, with -li if needed but only when it is natural to do so. Same with High German, btw.

PLEASE DON'T. It's bad enough trying to retain some remnants of my once good grammar. I seldom speak English with native English speakers and my language is steadily going downhill. (at an ever increasing speed!)

But no! The English you are very well speaking! Never have I such mistakes seen you gemade.

'chen' and 'lein' added to a word do the trick in German but Swiss German is so much easier. Seems that 'li' added to pretty well anything with 's' as the article. 's Tischli, 's Büchli, 's Kaffeli, 's Computerli...

It is sounds far more ridiculous to add -li everywhere than making grammar mistakes with grammatical gender. Keep your grammar mistakes and use the correct words, with -li if needed but only when it is natural to do so. Same with High German, btw.

Oh dear. This is what I meant about the lack of a British sense of humour. You can guess Faltrad's nationality!

And the diminutive 'chen' I mentioned, added to Magd changes it to das Mädchen (little girl!) neuter, and 'lein' added to Frau to make das Fräulein (young lady) neuter...
the guys on here can discuss 'far more ridiculous' in this context.

Re not knowing the correct gender of German words: Oh dear. This is what I meant about the lack of a British sense of humour. You can guess Faltrad's nationality!

And the diminutive 'chen' I mentioned, added to Magd changes it to das Mädchen (little girl!) neuter, and 'lein' added to Frau to make das Fräulein (young lady) neuter...
the guys on here can discuss 'far more ridiculous' in this context.